Willmott Dixon has secured a £21 million contract for three schools in Milton Keynes that mark the first phase of the council’s £160 million schools investment programme.

Peter Owen, managing director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Demand for schools places across the country is outstripping supply and Milton Keynes is not unique in implementing a major school investment programme.

“We’ve delivered several programmes to revitalise schools across the country and will be deploying our know-how and skills in Milton Keynes.”

Milton Keynes Council aims to deliver over 10,000 much-needed new school places and Willmott Dixon’s initial role will see it build the first three schools, Newton Leys, Fairfield and Whitehouse Primary Schools, which will open ready for the new intake of pupils in September 2016.

In recent years, Willmott Dixon has transformed school accommodation in Liverpool, Middleborough, Isle of Wight, Bedfordshire, Southampton and Warwickshire with multiple projects that replaced life-expired property or created new schools to provide extra capacity for places.

Milton Keynes Council enlisted this education sector expertise for its first tranche of schools through the National Major Works Framework, one of six frameworks provided by Scape Group.

The entire programme will see Milton Keynes create seven new schools as well as expand 12 schools by 2018.